NEW-VORKER. 
|it;u)hig for t(jc gouitg. 
THAT BROTHER OF MINE ; OR, HORTICUL¬ 
TURE IN-DOORS—SPICED. 
MRS. :>i. i.. s. 
Will— “ Sister I do believe everybody knows 
your hankering after uncommon things I Even 
Dick Drown has sent you this great clump of pine 
cone3—to remind you of his ngse I reckon.” 
Buss—“ Ills nose ? I don’t see the resemblance.” 
Will— “It’s (k)notty,” 
Buss—What a horrid pun! “Wit without 
mo lest (/ is disgusting. ’ 
Will—“D la gust ordat gust. ‘It's an ill wind 
that blows nobody good—besides ‘ Where ignor¬ 
ance Is Bliss, ’tls folly t.o be v'fse.' ” 
Bliss— “ Vcb, and * Where there’s a Will there's 
a way ’—to be very disagreeable.” 
Will— “That's why 1 say we were named wrong; 
you are the woman with a Will, without any right 
to me either, lint our names are significant. You 
are the first born when (sites was the ruling Idea 
and they called you Bliss. By the lime 1 squeaked 
tor a name, Ma showed her Will, and then little 
sister wanted a name, and they called her 
Minerva." 
Buss—“Do brother, run; get some furniture 
glue and that cocoanut-l intend to make a vase 
for hlooralngja hyacinth in, this winter. These four 
cones stand our just like feet. .Now' spill two cones 
in two, and please cut this stein off Just the length 
of the cones. Now we'll glue a half cone on each 
of four sides, and the oocoanut on top. 'The glue 
is exactly the color of the burs and cocoanut. Now 
varnish and sprinkle with those brass and copper 
tilings which wo picked up in the shop.” 
Will— “ Yea I see—a rustic rase—a. bur lesque! 
blistffol thought I It s a wonder you don’t make 
something of this cow’s horn” 
Buss “A cornucopia, t thank you for the idea, 
it is already bleached by the weather, that will 
save me the trouble of boiling it In lye. Scrape it 
for me-now bore two holes lor the strlugby which 
to suspend it. But no, it would look better fastened 
with putty to that piece of petrified hone which I 
brought from Florida, the weight will hold it 
steady. Now till with sand and plant Tradescantla 
and Hose Geranium.” 
Will— •* Now hadn't you better set your cornu 
In a comer?” 
Buss—“ Yes, and prop It till the putty dries.” 
Minerva—“ Bister, see what. I round.” 
Buss—A goblet with the stein broken otT—I'll 
just fasten tlds with a ball of putty to t hat pre¬ 
serve-dish bottom, and stick a row of those rock 
crystals around on the putty—then little His wilt 
have a vase for her flowers which she Is going to 
put on the table X’mas morning—those double 
daisies and pansies. This Is deep, but may be lllled 
with moss and ferns drst. 
Will —Now, as the vase Is finished it must be 
propped up for several weeks for the putty to 
harden and dry, All right! These rocks are the 
propel' things to prop with. I'll now call on the 
name of some genius to guard this blissful artisan 
that her Ingenuity may be preserved lor future 
g reat deeds.—To be continued. 
--- 
PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN. 
This was the political motto of an old und very 
Influential journal sixty years ago, which I used 
to see lor 20 years dally, It Impressed me, not In 
a political sense ; lor 1 am no politician, but In a 
general one. It induced me always to look for 1 lie 
governing principle In any matter which I under¬ 
took to Investigate. It has become a governing 
principle of my life, and now sixty years of its uses 
and teachings induce me to advise every young 
man to adopt the same general plan. 
Since I have become a cultivator of ihe soli, it 
has stood me in hand lu many cases when It was 
Impossible to make progress otherwise. If I 
have a new plant, or crop to attend to, I first- “ go 
to the bottom of It;” nothing stops me till I know 
what it needs, what It likes, or what It must have 
to insure success, I (hen give It all I have at 
command, being careful to pay due respect to the 
principles Involved, 't his Is really science, but I 
begau to study principles long before science was 
ever dreamed of being applied to cultivation, ir 
every farmer would adopt the same plan, there 
need be no “Errors of Judgment,” because the 
j udgment would become mature, aud then errors 
could not arise. 
The days of swindling tree peddlers will end as 
soon as the farmer knows that, upon principle 
their representations are false. S. Bit us Mason. 
Purple Cane, Dodge Co., Neb. 
-- 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Jumping Jack Responds to the Call. 
Rural Friends: — Home one makes Inquiry 
about “ Jumping Jack,” and asks lor another 
‘ 1 brilliant effusion.” 1 can answer for the former, 
bul feel a timidity In vouching lor the latter, par¬ 
ticularly the “ brilliant ” part. Since I wrote you 
last I vo been trying carefully to care for my weak¬ 
ened eyesight, and my pen lia3 lain idle for many 
months, tor. beyond an occasional contribution to 
our county papers, I could count on the fingers of 
one hand, all the articles I’ve written since 1 wrote 
the last “ effusion." so please do not accuse me of 
f orgettillness or a non-appreciation or your kindly 
1 nquirJes, 
Week before last our county held one of Its an¬ 
nual fairs at Washington, and won’t you think it 
was well attended when I say that the sale of 
tickets for one day was over ten thousand ? The 
fair continued lour days; and at night the halls 
were lit by gas, presenting quite a novel (l believe 
It Is not customary for county fairs to be opened 
at night,) as well as beautiful sight. 
Many of you have read indifferent papers of Dr. 
Lemoyne and his famous cremation furnace, and 
THE RURAL 
have also read of Ills death noticed In a recent 
Rural, By his own wish Ills body was cremated 
In the crematory on Galiow’a lull, overlooking 
“little” Washington. Knowing him personally 
as I did, 1 shall not mention any eccentricities, 
but merely state that Ills was a very great mind In 
Its palmiest days, and that he was a Christian 
and a gentleman. 1 cannot forget the satisfaction 
and pleasure 1 once derived from a rummage I had 
among the hundreds of volumes that compose the 
library which ho gave to our town. Each book 
was then covered with a paper covering, and all 
the work of his own aged hands. He was much 
given to works or philanthropy, aud spent much 
of his accumulated fortune that way. A few 
weeks since the “County Institute” met at this 
place. Before tula year It Always was held the 
week between Christmas and New Year, but the 
new superintendent changed the time. It was a 
good time to learn things, also to hear Ihe teachers 
disagree. 
1 want to tell you of the seeds 1 got from the 
“ Rural Experimental Grounds.” Year before last 
i got foui bulbs or seeds of the Chinese Yam (Dlos- 
eorea Batatas). I planted them, and got four large 
bulbs or roots. Two of those wore lilted, the other 
two remained in the ground all winter, and came 
up lu the spring, doing better than the ones kept 
In the house. 1 had some splendid vines, and they 
were much admired, but I was disappointed that 
they bore no blossoms. Tte .Shell Flowers proved 
to bo curious, and grew well. The t ropical looking 
Riclnus gave much satisfaction, ns dll others. 
Some of the seeds did not germinate. T gave the 
best attention 1 knew how. but something was 
lacking. 1 want to accept of the free gilt this 
year, but, being absent from home when the Rural 
announced the distr ibution, 1 know not the amount 
of stamps to send. Will some ono be kind enough 
to Inform me? [ 00 .—Eh.J 
I believe I’ve “ written all the news.” And my 
pen seems to havo run as it pleases, and nous I 
please that It shall cease. Good-bye to you all. 
Washington, Pa. Jvmuing Jack. 
The Report from Cousin “Nell.” 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I ought to have reported 
ere this, but hke Minnie S. White, have been very 
busy. 1 have not bad the time to devote to the 
care ot my flowers that I wished for; but have 
learned some tilings, and derived a great amount 
of pleasure from this summer’s experience. 
I cannot report very' good success with the Ru¬ 
ral seeds. Have four plants each, of Rose ot 
Sharon aud A morph a Irutlcosa, averaging about 
four inches In hlgbt. Have also, onePllius edulls, 
one Yucca lilarnentosa, and two strong plants ot 
the Hollyhock. 1 could not Induce Aquilegia, 
Calllearpa, and several others to germinate. 1 ex¬ 
changed apart, of the seeds with a friend,or I 
would not have the Hollyhock and Rose of Sharon. 
I had better success with annuals. Of the charm¬ 
ing little trailer Abronla, 1 planted eight seeds in 
a l’our-lneh pot, April 0 , ] think, ’they all grew, 
and In May I transplanted them. They grew 
finely', and lllled 10 overflowing a circular bed four 
lectin diameter. There are several c.f the utue 
pink blossoms on the vines now. For a basket 
plant it would be lovely. I mean to try it next 
year. 
Our Tansies are beautiful. My husband admires 
them more than other flowers. We have every 
shade, it seems to me, from White Treasure to 
King of LUc Blacks. The Petunias, also, were very 
nice. There wer« purple, white, striped, blotched, 
and several shades Of red. My Pinks were a great 
ravorlte—they were admired by all who saw them. 
The Phloxes were very pretty. I had six or eight 
varieties, and some are still In bloom. There was 
a little space devoted to the sweet Mignonette. It 
is very nice tor bouquets. 
My Balsams were splendid, and as double as 
could be. I had white, pink, red, purple, liesh- 
color and several spotted and striped varieties. I 
had rather poor success with the Verbera—the 
seeds would not germina te. However, 1 have a few 
plants. J had the prett-lcst Poppies I ever saw: so 
silky, and such a lovely bottle-green center. There 
were all shades—from pure white, to dark reti¬ 
red with white edges, amt white with red edges, 
etc. twill send some seed to Uncle Mark. The 
plants continue to bloom a long time. Of Gladioli 
1 had only two shades of red, but they were very 
thrifty, the flower stems averaging three feet in 
bight. The Asters were beautiful, so very double, 
and so many shades and colors, but not half the 
buds had blossomed, when Jack Frost took them. I 
also had Dahlias, German Stock, and a few other 
kinds of flowers. Have planted part ot the Grape 
seed. Uncle Mark, pleaso aeoepL my thanks lor 
the seed, and the book you so kindly sent me. I 
would like to tell yon of my trip to the woods after 
Arbutus, but this letter is notv too long, and I will 
close. Yours, sincerely, Nell. 
Sanford, N. Y. 
[Please tell us of your trip.—U. M.j 
Dear Uncle Mark :—I felt so discouraged about 
my garden, I was almost ashamed to write to you 
any more about it, until I learned you wished the 
cousins to write often. Between the bugs, pigs, 
grubs and dry weather, I did not. bare anything 
hardly. My Gladiolus, that 1 thought ho much of, 
the grubs got at and ate the stock oir, down close 
to the bulb; It did not hurt the bulb, but It did 
not blossom. J fedt so sorry, because 1 wanted to 
see wliat color It would be. My corn grew nicely 
and had quite a lot of nice cars on, bul my bro¬ 
ther’s mile pigs got In one night and destroyed 
all but tour or tlve ears. I’m going to sa re those 
for seed. If nothing happens to thorn. My t ad ishes 
were planted lu two places. The first ones I 
planted came up real nice, aud 1 watered them 
every night; but one day I went to look at them, 
and something had been eating the leaves, and on 
the under side of the leaves were little white bugs. 
I put ashes aud Persian powder on them, but 
neither seemed to do any good, and in two or 
three days they were all goue, but in the other 
place 1 raised some. I saved some seed, and Pm 
real glad T did, for may be 1 shall do better next 
year; I hope I will. I am so pleased with my 
book, and I wish to thank you. If this letter Is 
too long, you need not print It. From your affec¬ 
tionate niece, Bertha II. 
West Town, N. Y. 
[Circumstances will sometimes conspire wonder¬ 
fully to work unfortunate results; but after all, 
these lessons ot disappointment should only serve 
to make one more vigilant In one’s efforts. Next 
year, I dare say. Bertha will be careful to look out 
for grubs around her choice plants, and for Insects 
on their leaves, aud see that, the gate Is shut 
against pigs and other depredators.—I . M.j 
Dear Uncle -Mark :—As so many of the cousins 
are writing I thought 1 would write loo. We have 
taken the Rural a great many years, and I like It 
very much; especially the let ters from the cousins. 
I am very fond of flowers and have a very few. 
Will you please tell me why my oleander does not 
blossom ? 11 looks thrifty, but it lias never blossom¬ 
ed. Please put me flown as a member of tbe Hor¬ 
ticultural Club. As this Is my first attempt, I will 
not lire you with my nonsense: hut If this does 
not find an untimely grave In the waste basket 
you will probably hear from tne again. 
Pocahontas. 
Reynalls Basin, Niagara (..’ 0 ., N. Y, 
TWO NEW AUNTS. 
Boys anii Gcrrs :—lu desiring to become an 
aunt 1 assure you 1 have no designs upon your 
Uncle Mark. T am already provided for he 
Is the vety Nick, (when I am not at home \ 
But 1 wanted to lell you of the splendid time 1 
had last summer at Roanoke In 
That Watermelon Patch, 
It was a triangle, perhaps a hundred feet on 
each side, of sandy loam, covered with vines and 
a thousand watermelons. The melons near the 
hills were pinched oil, and every shoot near a 
melon was pinched off. To guard against depre¬ 
dators, invisible wires runlng around and through 
the patch, attached to stakes by means ot little 
rings, communicated the slightest touch to a lit¬ 
tle bell which hung over the head of the toy 
with a pistol, who slept In the bunk of straw. In 
one corner of I be patch. lie was provided with 
books to read, and all ihe small melons out of 
the twelve which were pulled every evening to 
cool for the following day. Home weighed 
twenty-live pounds. He was a proud and happy 
boy. 
• * 4 , • 4 * 
Crapes. 
Company came to-day and Interrupted the nice 
things that I would have said about Uncle Mark's 
possible goad looks, In apology for my beginning. 
I had grapes for dinner and the conversation 
turned upon that subject. What a year lor grapes I 
Our bunches were Immense. I dipped the stem ot 
each cluster In cement and placed them after 
drying out, in layers. In paper boxes, with paper 
and leaves (perfectly dry) between. They will 
keep till Christinas. 
H.'iiuly nr Hebron. 
As a gift, or the Rural, I received by mail two 
wee marbles (and much ridicule from Nick) but 
these “small potatoes” being argus-eyed, planted 
IT hills fertilized with stable and hen manure. 
After a summer of Intense heat, and drought and 
the depredations ot moles, wo dug a large peck of 
3d potatoes weighing 12 pounds. 'There la now, 
a good deal ot talk at our house about our pota¬ 
toes. 1 might, say a great deal more, but this will 
do for an Introduction. Yon will no doubt hear 
from mo.again sometime In the future, meanwhile 
1 remain your aunt X’.uas. 
Reed Island, Va. 
[Tills very original aunt sent, also a recipe for 
making wine from grapes. She, of course, did not 
know that Uncle Mark Is strictly temperate In Ills 
habits, and that lie desires all his nephews to be 
the same. For this reason be could not publish It- 
though It may have been a very excellent recipe.) 
Dear Uncle Mark I have read with pleasure 
to-day some of the articles aud letters In your de¬ 
partment of the Rural, 1 ant not, 'tls true, one ol 
the “ little lolks ’ (being the mother of three little 
ones myself), yet, 1 love to see or hear from 
children ; their thoughts and aims are so pure and 
Inn scent, 1 observed a Biblical question in the 
Rural of September a). It may have been ans¬ 
wered, but I now send tbe answer; the question Is 
titled “ How many were there I” The answer is 12 
boys in the class, and here Is the solution. Jacob 
had 12 sons, Israelites compassed Jericho seven 
times, Boaz gave Ruth alx measures of barley, 
Hainan had Hi sons. There were seven of each 
clean beast entered the Ark ; Mi of the sons of t he 
Prophets went to seek Elijah titter his translation- 
Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before 
Pharaoh; David had five smooth stones In htssllng 
to kill Goliath of Gath ; Bethany was 15 furlongs 
east of Jerusalem. There were lour anchors oast 
at the time of Paul’s Shipwreck, There were eight 
people saved lu the ark. 
I would also like t.o Join the Horticultural Club, If 
1 am not debarred by age. 1 would love to meet 
with H 11 ? little ones every week and enjoy their 
company. I would like to tell you that I have some 
seeds 01 the Southern. “ China Tree.” that I will 
send you If you wish. I have trees lour feet high 
now, raised from the seed, t left them out-of-doors 
last winter without any protection except winding 
with straw, and putting a layer ot straw round 
their bodies over the roots. In their natural stale 
In the South (as I remember them w'lien a girl) 
they grew to forest size, and every spring were 
loaded dowu with clusters of lilac blossoms. 1 will 
not write any more at present, but hope to greet 
the little ones often if 1 am accepted as a member 
of your household band. Yours, Ac. 
Marshall Go., Kans. Mrs. M. J. Galvin. 
[Pleaso come In and make yourself at home. We 
shall be glad to hear from you every week. 
Whatever seeds you may send we will try at the 
Rural Grounds, U. M.J 
A POSITIVE CHRISTIANITY. 
I once had a conversation with an Intelligent 
lnlidel, who stared me lu the face, while he asked 
me It I was positive that my Christianity was true; 
to which I replied that I had not a doubt, and 
that the evidence was fixed lu my heart; to which 
he replied that It had always been a rlinioult thing 
tor him to believe a doctrine that was a matter of 
so much uncertainty to so many who call them¬ 
selves Christians. “Well,” said he, “I am In the 
habit of asking Christians whether they have the 
assurance that the Lord Is with thorn, and when 
they answer in the affirmative their faces betray 
them, and look as ihough they had been caught in 
the act of stealing. And, for my part, I never can 
be a Christian as long as l find such poor repre¬ 
sentatives ot Christianity. Why, sir, It is the 
rarest thing that I ean find a man that Is positive; 
and, therefore, there must be something wrong. 
IV hen a business man makes himself known to me 
as such, he does not say, * I think 1 am a member 
of such and such a firm,' • 1 hope I ana thus and 
so.’ 1 do not question his veracity, and rarely 
think It necessary to ask him for any papers lo 
prove It, because he Is positive about it; but the 
usual answer to my plain question la, “ I hope so;’ 
‘ I am trying to be;’ I used ta bo;’ * or would like 
to be.’ suppose I was appointed prime minister 
to some foreign Stale, and my business was to 
represent the Interests of the United States of 
America, would I leave any room In the mind of 
the governor as to the genuineness of my mission? 
It the Bible Is true, and you are the representa¬ 
tives of Its blessings, why are you ashamed to own 
11 ?” 
I was not just then prepared for such a sermon 
from this celebrated lnlidel. Although he did not 
seem to doubt my statement, yet he taught me a 
lesson I will not soon forget, und that lesson was 
the awful responsibility of professing Christians.— 
Advocate of Christian Holiness. 
■ --- 
“All Things are now Ready.”— From age to 
age the call is still the same. As one generation 
sweeps another off the stage—some h aiding, some 
despising, some not even hearing the benignant 
Invitation, It Is still repeated : “ All things are now 
ready.” Yes, at whatever moment the poor, sln- 
slck. starved, exhausted sinner lirst begins to feel 
his want, and turns his dim and haggard eyes to¬ 
ward that scene of splendor and festivity, before 
unit uown or 111 udly disregarded—however untimely 
the appeal may seem—though the prayer bs 
breathed at midnight, In the dark, from the beg¬ 
gar's hovel, the field of battle, of the dungeon, or 
the scaffold —the response is still ihe same: 
“ Come, lor all things are now ready.” The resort 
to this supply can never be too early; it should 
never be too late. It can never be too early; for 
the soul Is never without consciousness of want— 
a restless craving for enjoyments, hotter than the 
best It has experienced. It should never be too 
late—as It is, alas 1 too late for thousands—be¬ 
cause all things are now ready; and when all 
things are now ready, and the opportunity af¬ 
forded of securing them but transient, it Is self-de¬ 
struction to refuse acceptance,—It is folly, It Is 
madness even 10 postpone it.— J. a. Alexander. 
-♦♦♦- 
The Second Commandment —The second com¬ 
mandment not only forbids worshipping graven 
linages, but it forbids making them. At the time 
when the command meat was given the tendency 
to the worship of images was so strong that even 
the making of them could not he allowed. That 
danger having passed away for as, the prohibition 
has passed away for as, for the Divine precepts are 
not arbitrary, but, reasonable. When a danger¬ 
ous road had been repaired, the slgu, “No passing 
here,” Is taken away. Ho we read the command¬ 
ment, '• ThousUa.lt not make any graven image;” 
we respond, “ Lord. Incline our hearts to keep lids 
lawand we fill our houses with stalunry. The 
spirit of Uie law has passed Into other tonus, pro¬ 
hibiting Idols of the imagination, Idols of the in¬ 
tellect, especially all religious views , practices, 
notions aud doctrines that are unworthy of Goa, 
or dishonorable lo him.—Dr. J. M. Whiton, in 
Good Company, Xamhcr Two. 
-♦»»- 
Resurrection. —Wo believe that Christ was not 
only burled, but rose from the dead on the third 
day. He rose with a material body Identical In a 
true sense with the body as It wrt3 before He 
died, and yet omnipotently cUnnged to lneorruptl- 
bleness and power, and fitted lor the ndlness of 
tho Hplrltand a slate of glory. We believe that 
Christ will come again the second time in that 
very resurrection body, and raise up Ills people 
with a like literal real body of bioorruptlUlcucssand 
power, controlled by the spirit and fitted to tho 
final .state. “ We look for the Saviour, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that 
It may be fashioned like unto Ills glorious body.’’ 
Tho fall of man brought ruin to body as well as 
soul. Salvation Is riot complete till body, as well 
as soul, Is redeemed,— C/iurvh Helper, 
It Is well to bear lu mind that unsound teaching 
cannot always be condoned for the sake of activity 
aud zeal In an associate body of workers, any more 
than great soundness of doctrine can Justify inae- 
Uvtty and sloth In the Master’s work. The unsound 
teaching and tbe sloth!illness are each to be de¬ 
plored and condemned, and, so far as possible, done 
away with.— Churchman, 
There Isa great deal of ceramic religion, fine 
earthenware Christianity, old china church inem- 
beishlp. Lay It gently on the shelf, a cracked and 
faded and useless thing, it certifies to a certain 
spiritual respectability of the happy possessor, but 
is ot no use on the tables of the church,— Interior 
